A reckless driver has come to the attention of police after they were filmed swerving around several vehicles and pulling the finger at motorists.
The driver had been travelling along State Highway 2 between Te Puna, a rural community on the outskirts of Tauranga, and Bethlehem, a suburb of the city, at around 5:30pm on Sunday.
Video taken by a witness, who shared the footage of the dangerous driving to a Facebook community group, shows the motorist overtaking numerous vehicles by crossing the centre yellow lines into the path of oncoming traffic.
"Don't be this guy! Literally created his own lanes and hung out his window pulling the finger at everyone he passed from Te Puna through to Bethlehem," the woman captioned the video, adding that the police had been notified.
A police spokesperson confirmed they had received a traffic offending report and details of the vehicle had been provided.
"Keeping left is a fundamental part of driving in New Zealand and is essential to ensure the safety of all on our roads," the spokesperson told Newshub.
"The behaviour seen here puts the driver, their passengers, and other road users at risk.
"If you witness poor driving behaviour, please call *555 as soon as it is safe to do so. If the driving behaviour is consistent and putting peoples' safety at risk, call 111.
"We urge all drivers and riders to not take unnecessary risks and to be very careful when overtaking."
In a later comment, the witness added that the man had travelled through to Bethlehem by "creating his own lane" down the middle of the highway.
Members of the community group have responded with outrage to the footage, but praised the woman for reporting the driver.
"People like this should lose their license indefinitely, [if] they are prepared to kill people they don't deserve the privilege of sharing the roads," one commented.
"Shocking! Thank you for reporting and capturing evidence!" said another.
"These idiots need to be held accountable before they kill an innocent person."
The spokesperson did not confirm if the police had been in contact with the driver or what punishment they would face.
